Piston-ring-contracting apparatus



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w. wUERFEL PISTON RING CONTRACTING APPARATUs Filed 'August 25, 1925 .lllllluhhJ ATTORNEYS.'

Aprir'zv, 1926. 1,582,719

W. WUERFEL PIsToN RING CONTRACTING APPARATUS Filed August 25, `1925 3 Sheetssheet 2 ATToRNE April 27 1926.

` W. WUERFEL PISTON RING CONTRACTING APPARATUS Filed August 25, 1.925 3 Sheets-Sheet :5 w. L?. @$1,914.

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c. l p l Patented Apr, 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLiaM WUEREEL, 0F Bri-@Armenie PENNSYLVAMA. ASSIGNOR T0 WILKEMNG VTANFACTRXNG COMEfANY, 'non on tintin/Venn.'

PisroN-nNG-GONTRACTING APPARATUS.

Application filed August25, 1925. Serial No. 52,367.

lie it lznoiyn than l, iViLLIAM lVtufRrnL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia and State ot Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Piston-Ring-(lontracting Apparatus, ol which the iolloiying is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful apparatus for contracting. piston rings of the self expansive metallic. type, and it relates more particularly to or the character stated for contracting such piston rings in the course of the inanuiao ture of the saine, that is prior Ato theinish-- ing of the outside peripheral surface thereof, as is well known in the art.

In the manufacture ot metallic piston rings ot' the split and self expansive type, the piston rings are usually iinished and lit ai d then are inally finished on the out l ipheral surface, in the closed or coi-i- =acted position of the rinjis, in order that a eter cylindrical surface niay he ohtained to match the inner surface ot the engine cylinder. l

Self expansi piston rit aus are in general produced in one .et two W ys. One inethod is to cut the rings from a cylindrical tuhe, ci' a slightly larger diameter than the diaineter ot the cylinder which the rings areto iit,

then to cnt out a sinall portion of the rings,y

forming any suitable joint between the :ont ends, and 'thereby perr-iitting the contraction ring-against the `iorce or ther resiliency ot the material. of the ring, to the required cylinder dianietf-ir. The. other' inethodof making piston rings isto cut the rings troni a rylindrical tuhe ot suhstant'ally the gaine di aineter as tlze cylinder to he litted, then to split the at one point Without reinoyiug any substantial quantity 0f the material,

and pern'ianently to stretch or distendthe rings to a larger diameter, so that when they are 'forced-or sprung` haelt to their normal cylinder diameter, they Will maintain a ain amount oi outward radial resilient torce.

in it is desirable to obtain a last finishing out, on the outer cylindrical surface Whether on a lathe or on a grinder, after the ring' has l n otherwise linished, and in a contracted position, that is, in the saine position that it would ociupy Within the cylinder, in order novel apparatus each of these inethods of making rings,

that it inay have true outer cylindrical surface.

My novel apparatus has for its object the accu ate mounting of a series, or a large number, ot split rings, upon a inandrel, in such a contracting position, with great facilty and' ease, and with the utmost accuracy.

A further ohjectot my invention is to provide nieans, Anotgonly for contracting a Aseries of piston rings, but also for accurately centeringjthe saine about a inandrel upon which they areto he mounted. y n i `Still another object of 1 invention is to provide an apparatus for contracting piston rings which ankers-al, between wide limits, thus eliminating the necessity which has hitherto existed for a separate fixture for each size of ring.

With the above ends in View, my invention consists oi an upright cylindrical housing, a series ot radial hearing openingsV in said housing substantially equally spaced, plungers slidahly mounted within said hearing' openings, upright auf-blades carried hy the inner jids ot' said plungers, ineans carrier hy aid housing` for guiding the upper and louer ends of said4 blades, yieldable means normally to retain said plungers in an outerinost position, a connnon cani ring' surrounding' said housing. adapted .to engage the outer ends off said plunger, and to torce the ne inwardly when the cani rino' is actuated and means to; actuate said cani ring.

F or the purpose Oi" illustrating,` iny invention, l have shown in the accompanying drawings iorins thereof which are at presentpreferred hy nie, since they AWill give in pra ice satisfactory and reliable results, althou h it. is to he understood that the vari inentalities ot Whith i'ny invention can he variously arranged and inizcffl and l it my invention is not liniited to the pre arrangement and organization et thes instrumentalities as herein shown and desci-ihed Reterring to the drawings Figure l represents a Vertical section ot' a novel piston ring` contracting` apparatus enibodying iny invention.

Figure 2 represents plan VView of niy novel apparatus with' the upper guide plate partly broken away, so as to Yexpose to View the jaw-blades carried thereby. i

Fig-'nre represents a sectional plan View on rH'IALADnLr-HIA, PENNSYLVANIA, n oonrQnA-j.

rings.

Figure 6 represents a section similar to that shown in Figure 5, with the piston rings contracted to a 'fixed diameter determined by a steel band or sizing ring surrounding the washer on the end of the mandrel.

Figure T represents a vertical section similar tc that shown in Figures 5 and 6, with the steel ring` or band removed and with 'the stack of piston rings in position ready tor.

the Enishing operation on a lathe or grinder.

Referring to the drawings in which like characters indicate like parts, 1 designates the housing or shell oit my novel apparatus preferably of cylindrical shape, positioned upright upon, and secured to, the bottom or lower guide plate 2, by means otl a series of screws 3 or other fastening devices. The bottom guide plate 2 in turn and hence the whole appa atus, rests upon pairs of transverse supports4, which are in turn carried by a .longitudinal angle member 5, and clamped thereto, by means ot suitable clamp- P ing devices 6 and bolts 7, as shown in Figures 1 and 2; which longitudinal angle members are in turn carried by upright supports 8, in any suitable manner.

The apparatus thus supported, consists chiefly ot the housing 1, the lower guide plate 2, a corresponding upper guide plate 9, secured to the upper edge of the cylindrical housing 1 by means of bolts or other fastening devices 10, a series of radially disposed plungers 11, slidably mounted within suitably spaced radial openings 12, extending through the housing 1, and a series of upright jaw blades 13, carried by the inner ends of said plungers. The upright guide blades 13 are secured to the inner ends of the plunger 11 in any suitable manner, such as :tor instance, by inserting them into suit-able slots 14 in the ends oit said plungers, and lining them therein by means ot pins or rivets 15. The lower and upper ends of the jaw blades 13 are guided in suitable radial guide channels 16 and 17 respectively, in the inner surfaces of the lower and upper guide plates,v 2 and S) respectively, as shown particularly in Figures 1, 3 and 4.

In order to actuate the jaw blades 13 in a radial direction, the outer ends of the plungers are provided with the Jfollower cam heads 18, threadedly secured thereto, as at 19, which follower heads 18 are suitably shaped,

so as to be adapted to be engaged by the inner conical camsurface 20, of the annular cam ring 21 surrounding the housing 1, as shown particularly in Figures 1 and 2. The cam ring 21 is carried by a plurality of upright standards 22, from a transverse yoke 23 beneath the housing'l, as shown in Figure 1. The upright standards are threadedly secured to the cam ring 21 as shown at 24, and are in turn secured to the yoke 23 by passing the reduced and threaded ends 25 thereof through suitable openings in said yoke, and subsequently securing the nuts 26 upon the threaded ends 25.

1n order to raise and lower the cam rings 21 at will, and in order to maintain the same in any desired position, thereby to actuate the jaws 13 of my novel apparatus, l provide a novel screw leed, shown particularly in Figure 1, in which the screw 27 is supported rotatably in the lower yoke 23, yet iixed therein against any vertical longitudinal movement, which yoke is in turn supported by the upright standards 29 depending Afrom the lower guide plate 2, and secured thereto by means ot' the threaded endsV 30, and secured to the lower yoke by means of the threaded ends 31 and the 'nuts The feed screw 27" is threaded into a correspondingly threaded vertical opening 33, passing through the center of the upper yoke 23, thereby moving said upper yoke 23 and hence the cam ring 21 in a vertical direction whenever said feed screwA 27 is turned.

In order to facilitate the manipulation ot the screw 27, and hence the raising and lowering of the cam ring 21, and the corresponding closing and opening of the jaws 13, I provide an operating hand wheel 34, secured and keyed to the lower end 35 ot the screw 27 by means ot the key 36, whereby said screw may be readily revolved. 1 further provide a graduated index collar or dial 37, upon said screw, having suitable markings thereon, whereby the screw may be revolved predetermined amounts at will.

In order to withdraw the jaws 13 in an outward radial direction, when the cam ring 21 recedes downwardly, I interpose a compression spring 38 between each ot the cam follower heads 18 of the plungers 11, and the outer wall of the casing 1, as shown particularly in Figures 1 and 2.

rlhe lower guide plate 2 is provided with a central opening 39, ot a suitable shape to receive and to retain against rotation, the lower nut 40, upon the lower threaded end 41, of the mandrel 42. rlhe mandrel 42, having the reduced and threaded ends 41 and 43, carries a lower and an upper nut 40 and 44 respectively, threaded onto said ends, and the end discs or washers 45 and 46 respectively, inside ot said nuts, between which, the series ot piston rings 47 are clamped.

In using my novel apparatus the end dises il (l or washers 45 and 46 are chosen ofa slightly lifter the rings have beenthus contracted lesser diameter' than the finished or 'contractcd diameter of the particular r1ngs, in order that a suitable clearance may be allowed be- Vtween the outer periphery of the washer and `mined outer diameter.

the outer diameter ofthe piston rings, when mounting'thc piston rings 47 upon the mandrel 42. The relative proportions of the diameter of the end washers and the diameter of the piston rings in their open or distended positions, is clearly shown in Figure 5.

The mandrel 42 having mounted thereon the lower Ywasher 45 and the nut 40, is in-' sorted into the apparatus, with the nut 40 seated within Athe opening 39, in the lower guide plate 2; the jaws 18 of my novel apparatus being opened so as to permitv free access to the same. A split metallic sizing ring is then placed around the outer periphery of the lower washer 45, a manner shown in Figure 1. r)The washers vand the corresponding sizing rings or bands are so chosen that the outer diameter of the bandv when clamped against the washer, will be slightiygreater than the diameter desired on the yfinished rings, the difference being the amount of the finishing cut. .The piston rings 47 are then stacked up on the lower washer 45 in a manner shown in Figure 1, with the joints 51 ofthe piston rings staggered. The upper washer or end disc 46, is then placed in position on top of the stach of rings and is surrounded by a corresponding sizing ring 48. The upper nut 44 is then loosely turned on to the threaded end 43 of the mandrel 42. Thereafter the hand wheel 34 is revolved so as to raise the cam ring .21 until the jaws 1 8 have vbeen closed in on the stackA of piston rings 47 and ton rings. rljigure 6 shows the piston ringscontractedrto the diameter ofthe siz rings 4S. v y: Since the inneredges of the jaws 13 are true to a straight line, and since the effective outer diameters of the washers and 46 and the sizing rings 48 are equal and predetermined, the whole stack of rings will be contracted to the same predeter- Furthermore, since washers 4o and 46 are concentric, with the mandrel 42 centered in the lower plate 2, the piston rings will also be centered accurately about the Vmandrel`42, hence centered with'respect to its turning centers 50. lioreoveig'due to the relatively large number of jaws 13, (in the jmrticular illustration shown, approximately twenty four), the piston rings'will be con* tractcd into a truc circular shape, instead of being distorted into some polygonal shape, as would bey the case, if but a Vfew jawswere employed to contract the rings.

'the sizing rings 48.l The sizing rings will tl determine theclosed diameter of the to the desired diameter and concentrically about the mandrel 42, the upper nut 44 is tightened by "a suitable wrench, thereby clamping and `fixing the rings 47 between the two washers 45 and 46 in the contracted position. Thereafter the hand wheel 34'is revolved in the opposite direction so as to lower the cam rings and thereby releasing the jaws 13 into their outer or open position, thus permitting the removal of the. mandrel 42 with the piston rings 47 mounted thereon in the manner stated. The sizing rings 48 are tnen removed from the washers 45 and i6-and the stack of rings is then mountet and ready for the iinishing cut upon a lathe or grinder, .as the case may be.

By my novel apparatus it is thus seen, the mounting of a stack or a large number of piston rings upon a mandrel is greatly fa` cilitated and furthermore the mounting thereof is made more accurate and certain as to dimensions and centering.

My apparatus also has suliicient range of adjustment, tobe used for piston rings of many diiferent sizes, thus eliminating the necessity for the use of a different contracting fixture for each` size of ring.

Furthermore, dueto the large number of jaws or blades, a true circular shape is secured when the rings are contracted, thus eliminating any possibility of a slight polygonal distortion of the rings due to the un even pressure on the outer diameter thereof at a few points. Moreover, itwill be seen that since the contracting edges of the aws of my novel apparatus are provided with straight edges, the several rings in the stach are necessarily .contracted to a. uniform diameter thus eliminating any irregularity in the finished product. The sizing rings may also be provided withthe rabbetted ends 49, so as to secure the desired overlapping of such ends and hence a continuity of the i ing rings around the washers.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful piston ring conH tracting apparatus whichl embodies the features of advantage enun'ierated as desirable in the statement' of the -invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described preferred embodiments thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that such embodiments are susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-- l

1. In a devi-ce'of the character stated, a housing having a plurality of bearing openings, plungers' slidabiy mounted in said bear- 'ill ing openings extending through the wall of said housing, upright elongated jaw blades carried by said plu'ngers within the housing and a cam ring surrounding said housing and adapted to engage the outer ends of said plungers thereby to force the same inwardly.

2. ln a device of thel character stat-ed, a cylindrical housing, terminal guide plates secured to said housing, a plurality of radially disposed elongated aw blades within said housing, extending substantially parallel to the axis thereof, and guided at their terminals by said guide plates, and means to actuate said aw blades in unison.

3. ln a device of the character stated, a cylindrical housing, terminal guide plates secured to said housing, a plurality of radially disposed elongated aw blades within said housing. extending substantially parallel to the axis thereof, and guided at their terminals by sait guide plates, a common cam ring surrounding said housing, and mea intermediate said cam ring and each of said jaw blades, forl actuating' the latter in unison.

il. ln a device of the character stated, a housing, a plurality of radially disposed jaws within said housing extending substantially parallel to the axis thereof, a mandrel disposed axially of said housing, and end discs carried by said mandrel near the terminals thereof, for limiting the inward iii-ovemcnt of the said aws, said mandrel being adapted to receive a stack of piston rings between said two end discs.

5. ln a device of the character stated, a cylindrical housing, a plurality of radially disposed jaws within said housing extending substantially parallel to theV axis thereof, a mandrel disposedraxially of said housing, end discs carried by said mandrel near the terminalsthereof, for limiting the inward movement of the `said jaws, said mandrel being adapted to receive a stack of piston rings between said two end discs, and means lo actuate said jaws in unison in an inward direction.

G. ln a device of the character stated, a cylindrical housing, a plurality of radially disposed jaws within said housing extending substantially parallel to th-e axis thereof, a mandrel disposed axially of said housing, end discs carried by said mandrel near the terminals thereof and sizing bands surrounding each of said end discs for limiting the inward movement of said jaws, said mandrel being adapted to receive a stack of piston rings between said two end discs.

7. ln a device of the characterstated, a cylindrical housing having a plurality of spaced and radially disposed bearing openings extending therethrough, plungers slidably mounted in said bearing openings, elongated jaw blades carried by the inner ends of said plungers substantially parallel with the axis of said housing, common actuating means surrounding said housing and adaptedto engage the outer endsV of the plungers simultaneously to force the saine inwardly in unison and yieldable means intermediate said plungers and said housing for urging said plungers outwardly.

' 8. ln a device of the character stated, a cylindrical housinghaving a plurality of spaced and radially disposed bearing openings extending therethrough, plungers slidably mounted in said bearing openings, elongated jaw blades carried by the inner ends of said plungers substantially parallel with the axis of said housing, follower heads carried by the outer ends of said plungers, a cam ring surrounding said housing and Vadapted to engage each of said'follower heads simultaneously, to force the said plungers inwardly and in unison, and yieldable means intermediate said follower heads and said housing for urging said plungers outwardly.

9. ln a device of thecharacter stated, a cylindrical housing having a plurality of spaced and radially disposed bearing open-V ings extending therethrough, plungers slidably mounted in said bearing openings, elon- .gated jaw blades carried by the inner ends ot' said vglungors substantially parallel ith the axis of said housing, common actuating means surrounding said housing and adapted to engage the outer ends of the plungers simultaneously to force the same inwardly, yieldable means intermediate said plungers and said housing for urging said plungers outwardly and an upper and a lower guide plate carried by said housing for guiding the terminals of said blades.

l0. ln av device of the character' stated, a cylindrical housing having' a plurality of spaced and radially disposed bearing openings extending therethrough, plungers slidably mounted in said bearing` openings, elongatedjaw blades carried by the inner ends of s vid plungers substantially parallel with the axis of said housing, follower heads carried by the outer ends of said housing, a cam ring surrounding said housing and adapted to engage each oir said Jfollower heads simultaneously, to force the said plungers inwardly in unison, yieldable means intermediate said follower heads and said housing for urging said plungers outwardly, terniinal guide plates carried by said housing, andV means thereon adapted to receive and guide the terminals of said jaw blades in radial directions. Y

ll. ln a device of the character stated, a cylindrical housing having` a plurality of spaced and radially dispos-ed bearing openings extending therethrough, plungers slidably mounted in said bearing openings, elongated jaw blades carried by the inner ends of said plungers substantially parallel with the axis of said housing, follower heads carried by the outer ends ot said housing, a cam ring' surrounding' said housing, having an inner conical cam surface adapted to engage each of said follower heads simultaneously, to Tt'orce the said plungers inwardly rin unison, compression springs intermediate said follower heads and said housing i'or urging saidA plungers outwardly, and terminal guide plates carried by said housing and having radial guide channels therein adapted to receive and guide the terminals or said jaw blades in radial directions.

l2. ln a device of the character stated, a cylindrical housing, a plural ty orC radially disposed elongated jaws within said housing extending substantially' parallel to the axis thereof, a cam ring surrounding said housing and adapted for movement axially thereof, means intermediate each of said jaws and said cam ring, whereby said jaws are moved radially with the axial movement or the ring, and rotary means for raising and lowering` said cam ring axially of said housing.

1B. ln a device oi' the character stated, a cylindrical housing, a plurality of radially disposed elongated jaws within said housing extending substantially parallel to the axis thereof, a common cam ring surrounding said housing and adapted for movement axially thereof, means intermediate each of said jaws and said cam ring, whereby said jaws are moved radially with the axial movement ot' the ring and an axially disposed feed screwT for actuating said cam ring,l axially of said housing.

la. In a device oi' the character stated, a cylindrical housing,a plurality oi radially disposed elongated jaws within said housingV extending substantially parallel to the axis thereof, a common cam ring surrounding said housing and adapted .for movement axially thereoi, means intermediate each of said jaws and said cam ring, whereby said jaws are moved radially with the axial movement of the ring, a rotatably mounted t'eed screw disposed axially of said housing, a transverse yoke engaging said feed screw and adapted to be actuated thereby, and means intermediate said yoke and said cam ring for actuating the latter with the revolution ot said feed screw.

, l5. In a piston ring contracting apparatus, the combination et a cylindrical shell having a conical inner surface; a plurality of blades within said shell and substantially parallel with its axis; a plunger attached to each blade and engaging the conical inner surface of said shell; and means for moving said shell relative to said blades.

1WILI'JIAM VVUERFEL. 

